Government Funding

Congress has narrowly avoided a government shutdown. This afternoon, both chambers passed a 9-week funding patch, sending the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk just hours before federal funding expires. The continuing resolution (also referred to as a CR) extends current FY2021 funding to December 3, and does not allow for new or increased funding. This leaves some of Emory’s priorities  in limbo. Successfully included in the House Appropriations bills, we will continue to advocate for inclusion of these provisions in the final package. 

Congress continues to face a debt ceiling crisis in the middle of October. There is no clear path forward to raise the debt threshold. 

Congress continues to work on President Biden’s $3.5 trillion domestic “soft infrastructure” package. This legislation will proceed through the reconciliation process, allowing a lower 51-vote threshold for bill passage in the Senate. Pleasing both the moderate and progressive factions of the Democrat party is not an easy task for congressional leadership so passage is far from certain. Within the bill, there are a number of Emory priorities, including a modification of the endowment tax, maternal health provisions, and funding opportunities for healthcare workers. For details on provisions our team is tracking, please see this spreadsheet.

Hope Clinic Virtual Tour

On September 23, Emory hosted a “Hope Clinic Congressional Briefing” for senior staff members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. By highlighting the important work at Hope Clinic, our goal is to establish Emory as a leading research resource for Congress. Several Emory physicians participated including Drs. Zanthia Wiley, Nadine Rouphael, Evan Anderson, and Dean Kleinhez, Director of Hope Clinic Operations.

Opportunities to Serve

For those interested in public service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking nominations for appointment to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will soon publish a request for nominations to the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity Tribal Advisory Committee. The notice should be officially published on October 1, 2021.

HHS is advancing resources for use by its partners as we all continue to work to prevent and treat COVID-19.

Redistricting

The Georgia legislature will convene on November 3 to begin redistricting congressional and state legislative districts. The state constitution limits this special session to 40 days, but can be extended upon a vote of three-fifths of both chambers. This year’s process began much later than expected due to the delay in the 2020 U.S. Census data. 

Health Summit South 2021

On September 23, Dr. Jon Lewin participated in the Health Connect South 2021 Virtual Gathering. He spoke about the 4th wave of COVID and the surge in the unvaccinated population as well as how Emory is handling the care of its patients.

President Fenves Visits Clarkston

On September 27, President Fenves visited Clarkston to learn about Emory’s work in the community. During his visit, he met with DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry and Erin Igleheart, Start:ME Program Director.

South DeKalb Health Summit

On September 30, OGCA and Emory Healthcare participated in the 1st Annual South DeKalb Health Summit with our community partners at the House of Hope Church in Atlanta. Presenters included administrators and physicians from Emory Healthcare (EHC) as well as those from the DeKalb County Board of Health.

DeKalb County Vaccination Event

On October 2, OGCA and many volunteers throughout the Emory enterprise will participate in DeKalb County’s vaccination drive in Stonecrest, GA. This event is part of a continued effort, alongside DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, to vaccinate DeKalb residents.

Pictured above from left to right are Jeff Taylor, CEO of Medcura Health; Sandra Valenciano, M.D., M.P.H., District Health Director and CEO of the DeKalb County Board of Health; Kendra Price, Government Affairs Manager, Michael Thurmond, DeKalb County CEO; and Jeff Parker, CEO of Marta. 

Atlanta Mayoral Candidate Forum

On October 5, hear from the candidates during a free evening forum at Emory. WSB-TV’s Jocelyn Dorsey will moderate the event at Glenn Memorial Auditorium. Register to attend or get the livestream link. 

On October 8, Dr. Jon Lewin will provide welcoming remarks at the NAMI Georgia Annual State Conference.

On October 14, President Fenves and CDC Director Walensky will appear together at the 2021 Georgia Bio Innovation Summit in a session on “Moving Science Forward: A Conversation with the CDC and Emory University.”

Hillary Thrower, Director of State Affairs, has accepted a position at The Home Depot as Senior Manager of Government Relations. It is bittersweet to say goodbye to Hillary, who has served Emory admirably over the past four years. We wish her well in this new endeavor and look forward to building a stronger relationship with a fellow keystone Atlanta-based company.

The OGCA team has posted for an assistant director of state affairs as well as an assistant director of federal affairs. Stay tuned!